Ca. 100-200 AD. A finely crafted terracotta oil lamp with a small spout for the wick, which is fed with oil through a filling hole slightly off the center of the lamp. The looped handle on the rear of the lamp would have been used to carry or hang the lamp, and the flat base would have allowed it to be set down on a surface without tipping over. The tondo is decorated with an animal(?) in relief and the perimeter of the lamp is adorned with a set of circumferential grooves. Terracotta oil lamps were the most common type of Roman oil lamp and the process of making them typically involved several steps. First, the clay would be prepared and shaped into a basic form, usually by hand. Then, the lamp would be placed in a mold to add decorative elements, such as relief designs or figurative scenes. After the decorative elements were added, the lamp would be fired in a kiln to harden the clay and produce a durable final product.Size: L:73mm / W:54mm ; 30gProvenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s.